City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
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in Rock Springs, Wyoming. The High Desert Arboretum is located in the Red Desert of western Wyoming, which receives an average of only nine inches (23 cm) of precipitation annually. Over 140 drought-tolerant trees representing 40 varieties are in the arboretum. A solar-powered drip irrigation system is a unique feature of this site. Etna, within the picturesque "Star Valley" of Wyoming, is the home of the fifth site. The Etna Arboretum is locat- ed on the grounds of Etna Elementary, where students were heavily involved with the planning and planting. The school plans to use the arboretum for educational purposes in the future. Site preparation has begun for the final arboretum which will be located in the city of Powell, near Yellowstone National Park. Interpretive signs are currently being installed in five of the arboretum sites. The photo-aluminum signs contain the botanical and common names as well as graphics and a description of the tree. The sixth arboretum uti- lized urban forestry interns and a local artist to design and develop their interpretive signs. For all the arbore- tums, a website will be developed to share updates on them, including the adaptability of the species within the sites. Information will also include resources for obtaining the trees and shrubs that have been proven hardy within the arboretums. Considerable efforts are also underway to preserve and enhance the historic 63-acre (25.5 ha) High Plains Arboretum in Cheyenne which contains over 200 vari- eties of trees and shrubs that were tested at the for- mer USDA horticultural research station. The Civilian Conservation Corps assisted with the development of the arboretum. From the 1930s until the end of the research in 1974, trials were conducted on over 2,000 varieties of woody plants. Since 1974, the remaining trees and shrubs have relied mainly on natural precipi- tation to survive. For over 35 years, the plants received minimal care, water, and maintenance. High Plains Arboretum, located at an elevation of 6100 feet (1859 m), functions as a source for climate-adapt- ed, drought-tolerant species. Many of these hardy trees and shrubs are being incorporated into the other com- munity arboretums. This historic arboretum has had considerable preservation work done over the past few years by certified arborists with the City of Cheyenne Urban Forestry Division. Hundreds of trees have had deadwood removed, and a seasonal employee has been hired as part of the USDA Forest Service grant. An informational kiosk and an arboretum species map The Wyoming Tree Managers Focus Group, which has been actively involved with development of the arboretums, recently met to dis- cuss street tree inventories. 14 City Trees